Databases

Grove Music Online: Comprises the full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (London, 1992), and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, second edition, edited by Barry Kernfeld (London, 2002).

Not on campus? All you need is your City Tech ID. Login to the databases from off-campus using the
library number on the front of your ID. For more information or to report a problem, see Off-campus Access on the Library website.

Journals and Magazines

To find a specific journal or magazine:

Click the Find Journals/eJournals tab on the Library website. Search or browse by journal or magazine title, or browse by subject in [].

To find magazines and journals in print at the library, search the CUNY+ catalog.

If you need an article from a magazine or journal at another library, request it through Interlibrary Loan.

Reference Resources

The library has many reference books like encyclopedias, dictionaries and atlases that are useful for Music research. You can search for reference books by keyword or subject in the library catalog.

Print reference books are located on the shelves behind the Reference Desk on the 4th floor of the library. Print reference books can only be used in the library.

Many of our reference books are available electronically (ebooks) -- read them by clicking through the links in the library catalog. For off-campus access to ebooks, login with library number on the front of your ID. For more information or to report a problem, see Off-campus Access on the Library website.

Here are a few popular reference books for Music:

Career opportunities in the music industry.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML3795

The complete book of classical music.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - MT6

Concise encyclopedia of Jewish music.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML106.J49

Cuban music from A to Z.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML106 .C8

Dictionary of music.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML100

Encyclopedia of the blues.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML102.B6

The encyclopedia of the music business.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML102.M85

Hip hoptionary: the dictionary of hip-hop terminology.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML3531

Larousse encyclopedia of music.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML160

The latin music handbook

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML156.4.L3

Music of the whole earth.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - MT6.R273

The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML 100

The Oxford companion to music.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML100

The Oxford history of western music.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML160 .T18

Rap music in the 1980s : a reference guide.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML128

The Rolling Stone encyclopedia of rock & roll.

CALL NUMBER: Reference - ML102 .R6

Source book of African and Afro-American materials for music educators.

Finding Books and More in the Library

To find books at other CUNY libraries, select All CUNY Libraries. To request a book from another CUNY library, click Request a Copy.

Searching with Subject Headings

Using subject headings to search the library catalog can help you quickly find useful books and multimedia. Once you have found a book on your research topic, click on the Subjects links to find more books on that topic.

You can also search by subject from the Find Books tab on the Library website. Here's a sample of relevant subject headings for music research:

MUSIC -- AFRICA

MUSIC -- AMERICA

MUSIC -- 20TH CENTURY -- HISTORY AND CRITICISM

Internet Resources

Library of Congress American Memory/Music Collections: American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity.

World Music Institute: World Music Institute is a not-for-profit concert presenting organization dedicated to the research and presentation of the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world. WMI supports and encourages musicians from immigrant communities and collaborates with universities, cultural organizations, and other presenting organizations that have similar goals.

Multimedia Resources

Multimedia Resources are available for musical instruction. The library has some 3,000 audio recordings in LP, cassette and CD formats in genres ranging from classical to jazz to rock. All audio materials are available for borrowing and can also be played in the Multimedia Center. Selected video titles are listed below. Faculty may borrow videos to enhance classroom instruction; students may view videos in the library's Multimedia Resources Center (A431).

Amazing grace with Bill Moyers

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2022

The American Indian Dance Theatre: finding the circle

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1577

America's music: the roots of countr

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1311

Anne B. Real

CALL NUMBER: DVD 2473

The art of conducting: great conductors of the past

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1383

Ashkenaz: the music of the Jews from eastern Europe

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1456

An audio visual history of American folk music. Parts 1-5.

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1965

Beethoven

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2110

The blues, a musical journey

CALL NUMBER: DVD 2435

Blues and swing

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2034

A conversation with ten fingers: Mediterranean music

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2316

Cruisin' J-town

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 727

Dance Black America: a festival of modern, jazz, tap & African styles

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 830

Dancing with the gods: Bharatanatyam with Jalaja

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 479

Digital musical instruments and the world of MIDI

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1438

Discovering the music of India

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2249

Discovering the music of Latin America

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1810

Discovering the music of the Middle East

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1667

Dizzy's Dream Band

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1588

The Elements of music

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1518

Folklorico: Ballet Folklorico de Mexico

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1560

Great guitar lessons: fingerstyle techniques

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2029

Hip hop: a culture of influence

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2252

The history of rock 'n' roll

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1310

Horowitz in Moscow

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2380

Impressionism in art and music

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1939

The JVC Smithsonian Folkways video anthology of music and dance of Europe. Volume 1

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2310

The JVC Smithsonian Folkways video anthology of music and dance of Europe. Volume 2

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2311

Kod\014D: heartbeat drummers of Japan

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1524

Konkombe: Nigerian music

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 609

Le Mozart noir

CALL NUMBER: DVD 2504

Music and technology

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2261

Music is foundational!

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1529

Music machines

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 845

The Music of man: hosted by Yehudi Menuhin

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 624

Night on the Sea of Galilee: Israel folk dance festival

CALL NUMBER: VIDEOCASSETTE 212

Number 17 cotton mill Shanghai blues: music in China

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1597

Raga

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1464

Repercussions: a celebration of African-American music

CALL NUMBER: VIDEOCASSETTE 71-74

Rhythm of resistance: the Black music of South Africa

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 608

Roots of rap

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 2047

Roots of rhythm

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1596

Roots, rock, reggae

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 1592

Science and music

CALL NUMBER: VIDEO CASSETTE 688

Songs of the mountains, dances of the sea: music and dances of Taiwan's indigenous